He's seeking refuge after fleeing Egypt, and what does he find? Shepherds behaving… well, terribly.

The Legends of the Jews, as retold by Ginzberg, paints a vivid picture. It wasn’t just a little jostling at the well. These shepherds weren’t just rude; they were outright bullies! They snatched the water that some young women had painstakingly drawn, tried to harm them, and then, incredibly, tossed them into the well with murderous intent. Can you imagine witnessing that?

Then, out of nowhere, Moses appears. Our hero. He doesn't hesitate. He rescues the maidens. He pulls them from the water. He’s a protector, a defender of the vulnerable.

But it doesn't stop there. He then waters the flocks – first the flock belonging to Jethro, the priest of Midian, and then even the flocks of those awful shepherds. Talk about turning the other cheek! Though, let’s be honest, they probably didn’t deserve such kindness.

And here’s where the story takes a turn into the wondrous. It wasn’t some Herculean effort on Moses' part. He simply drew one bucket of water, and the well just… flowed. An abundance poured forth, enough for all the animals. It didn’t stop until Moses stepped away.

This wasn’t just any well. This was the well. The very same well where Jacob, centuries before, had met Rachel, his future wife. A well with deep significance, a well of destiny.

And according to tradition, this well was even more special than that. The Legends tell us it was created by God himself during the twilight of the first Sabbath eve, that liminal space between the holy day and the rest of creation.

Think about that for a moment. Moses, standing at a well created at the dawn of time, a well of encounters, a well of abundance. A well that ties together generations and destinies. He intervenes, showing compassion even to those who don't deserve it, and the well responds with a miracle.

It makes you wonder, doesn't it? What ancient wells of potential lie within us, waiting for us to act with kindness and courage? What miracles might unfold if we, like Moses, choose to stand up for what's right, even when it's difficult? Maybe, just maybe, we too can tap into a source of abundance that flows beyond our wildest dreams.